British Owls Unable to Fly After Overeating During Winter, Rescue Team Initiates Weight Loss Operation

According to foreign media reports on January 29th, recently, a female owl was rescued by staff of the Norfolk Owl Protection Zone in the UK – when it was found, it was drenched and unable to fly.

Everyone initially thought it was because its wings were wet or it was injured, causing it to be unable to fly, however, during the subsequent rescue work, the protection zone staff discovered that this owl was actually 'overweight' and unable to fly.

The rescue team said that this owl weighed 245g, which was about one-third heavier than an average owl, and this weight was 'very rare' for wild birds.

▲This 'unable to fly' female owl weighs 245g and is severely 'overweight'.

The team's trainer, Rufus Samkin, said that the owl's overweight was easily explained – due to the suitable winter temperatures in the UK, there were still many mice in the Norfolk Owl Protection Zone, which became a delicious meal for the owls.

During the two weeks of rescue, Samkin said: 'This little darling has lost 20 to 30 grams in weight and its appetite is not as it was before.'

After all, reducing weight is essential for escaping predators and avoiding the danger of being 'overweight' and unable to fly.

▲The rescued little owl.

Currently, after several weeks of strict diet control and observation, the little owl was released back into the wild this Monday with 'normal' weight.

Cheng Yu